The oceans store most of the excess energy accumulated due to increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere warming the surface layer. These long-term increases in temperature caused by climate change are in addition to natural variability where ocean temperatures change in response to climate oscillations like the El Niño Southern Oscillation.
Changes in sea-surface temperatures can affect marine processes, environments, and species. Some species may shift range or find it hard to survive in changing environmental conditions. Warmer water also takes up more space, which contributes to sea-level rise.
More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf.